Lucas II The Dominican Spot — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

We've only gotten takeout twice, back in July and tonight. The first time we ordered over the phone they were very nice and answered all of our questions since we weren't familiar and didn't know what to expect. We ordered 2 empanadas, 1 cheese and 1 vegetable. I would not order them again because there was hardly any cheese and the veggies were clunky and practically raw. We then had pernil (roasted pork) which was VERY good, tostones (savory plantains), yellow rice, red beans, and maduros (sweet plantains) which were all also good but I was unhappy with how everything was packed and the red beans were almost all liquid and not enough beans. Dessert was flan and tres leches cake which we enjoyed but probably wouldn't order again simply because we don't eat sweets often so we're very picky when we do. Tonight I went in the restaurant to order, pernil, yellow rice, red beans, and a garden salad. The pernil was EXCELLENT as was the rice and beans but again the beans were more liquid than beans. I was very disappointed especially since I explained to the server about our previous order not having enough beans so I thought she would have made sure that wasn't the case this time. The garden salad was extremely underwhelming and clunky with just iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and tomato. There was a simple seasoned red wine vinegar for the salad dressing and a spicy green sauce as a condiment. Overall the staff is very pleasant and the food is good at a fairly decent price. The restaurant appears to be clean and has a casual, fun feel. I'd like to dine in with friends on a Friday for karaoke...

The WORST ("spit-out" WORST) UNAUTHENTIC Dominican restaurant ever! I was so looking forward to eating there. Despite the friendly servers, the cook DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO COOK. He desperately needs lessons on authenticity (example: GARLIC is a key ingredient in MOFONGO which consists of only 3 ingredients, plantains, chicken soup/oil, and the MAIN INGREDIENT is GARLIC, but "Where's the garlic?" I gave the dish back and told them to add the garlic, but to no avail. The so-called sauces NEVER, NEVER, EVER BELONG with Mofongo - an INEDIBLE salt-laden BEEF sauce -- what the heck does this have to do with Mofongo. I never saw it accompanied with this anywhere in the world. Next and worst, is what they called "BECHAMEL" which is always in Greek dishes, such as Moussaka or Pasticcio, but NEVER, EVER accompanying Mofongo, but it beared no semblance to what Bechamel is composed of - their version was a thin Milk + Water combo, no thickness, just "nothingness" -- where did this chef learn how to make this and DARE to serve it with Mofongo. The server told me it goes with shrimp (so why on earth would they serve it with Mofongo???) It's so pathetic, there was no fixing all aspects that were COMPLETELY WRONG in this so-called restaurant, in a word - AWFUL. Don't waste your gas or money, plus it's no bargain, you're not getting anything with it, just Mofongo - no salad, no rice or beans, NADA for almost $20. A plantain costs approximately 0 cents. Plus they didn't use any ingredients except for very hard chicharron, I thought a piece of my tooth broke off, but it was he hard as a...

Where do I even begin? I traveled from LA to visit my parents, and they had shared so much about this wonderful place. I just had to see for myself what all the excitement was about, and I'm so glad I did—they were absolutely right! From the incredible flavors and refreshing drinks to the warm service and lively music, my experience from start to finish was nothing short of exceptional.

I feel truly grateful to have met Katherine, who made my visit so special. Her kindness and warmth, along with the rest of the team, made me feel like part of their family. It was such a comforting atmosphere, almost like being at home. Our food arrived beautifully timed, piping hot, and freshly made, and each bite was a delightful burst of flavor.

I deeply appreciated the team’s attention to detail and their genuine hospitality—checking in on us often to ensure everything was perfect. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to visit this gem and show them some love! Thank you all for such a remarkable and...